Imazu Lighthouse, Wooden lighthouse in Nishinomiya, Japan.
Imazu Lighthouse is a wooden lighthouse built in the shape of a lantern, standing near the port of Imazu in Nishinomiya, Japan. It is one of the few remaining wooden lighthouses in the country and continues to function as a navigation aid for passing ships.
The lighthouse was built in 1810 during the Edo period by Chobei the Fifth of the Osabe family, a local brewing family with influence in the port area. Its construction reflected the growing importance of maritime traffic along this stretch of coast.
The wooden surface of the lighthouse carries Japanese characters that connect it to the local brewing trade and seafaring life of the region. Visitors who look closely at the structure can see how private commerce and public safety once went hand in hand in this port town.
The lighthouse can be reached on foot from Kusugawa station on the Hanshin line or from the Nishitani-cho bus stop. The site sits right at the water's edge, so the best views come from walking along the harbor front around it.
Although the structure was fully restored in 1984, it still operates as an active lighthouse, which is unusual for a wooden building of this age. What makes it especially notable is that it was privately funded by a brewer, not built by any government or port authority.
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